Sutures are commonly used to join portions of tissue in a patient. Conventional sutures are made of materials such as silk threads and various mono-filament synthetic materials.
These traditional suture materials require the suture be tied in a knot to join the portions of tissue and secure the suture in place. Tying a knot adds complexity to the surgical process. For example, tying most knots requires control and movement of both ends of the suture. Frequently, loops must be made during knot tying and free ends of the suture are passed through the loops. Thus, surgeons must generally use both hands to tie a knot in a conventional suture. Using both hands is particularly difficult in orthoscopic surgery in which the surgery is performed with specialized instruments through small incisions in the patient to minimize the invasiveness of the surgery. Although complex surgical orthoscopic stapling instruments have been developed to overcome these difficulties, some procedures are best performed using sutures rather than staples. Further, traditional sutures increase the time required for surgery and can become unknotted following surgery, potentially requiring corrective surgery or other intervention. Thus, there is a need for a suture that may be used to join portions of tissue in a patient without tying knots, that may be used during orthoscopic surgery requiring only one incision and instrument, and that may securely join portions of tissue so the suture is unlikely to become untied or otherwise loosen.